<p>The purpose of ammunition is to project a force against a selected <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Targeting_(warfare)" title="Targeting (warfare)">target</a> to have an effect (usually, but not always, lethal). An example of ammunition is the firearm <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartridge_(firearms)" title="Cartridge (firearms)">cartridge</a>,&#10; which includes all components required to deliver the weapon effect in a&#10; single package. Until the 20th century, black powder was the most &#10;common propellant used but has now been replaced in nearly all cases by &#10;modern compounds.&#10;</p><p>Ammunition comes in a great range of sizes and types and is often&#10; designed to work only in specific weapons systems. However, there are &#10;internationally recognized standards for certain ammunition types (e.g.,&#10; <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5.56%C3%9745mm_NATO" title="5.56&#215;45mm NATO">5.56&#215;45mm NATO</a>)&#10; that enable their use across different weapons and by different users. &#10;There are also specific types of ammunition that are designed to have a &#10;specialized effect on a target, such as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armor-piercing_shell" class="mw-redirect" title="Armor-piercing shell">armor-piercing shells</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tracer_ammunition" title="Tracer ammunition">tracer ammunition</a>,&#10; used only in certain circumstances. Ammunition is commonly labeled or &#10;colored in a specific manner to assist in its identification and to &#10;prevent the wrong ammunition types from being used accidentally or &#10;inappropriately.&#10;</p>